Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering Graduate Programs

1st off, i am in currently a junior earning my applied physics degree with my concentration in engineering (engineering physics i guess you could say). As time went on i realized i was interested in mechanical/ aerospace engineering. So:

1.) Before i get concerned about aero, should i focus on getting an M.E masters? It seems to me that aerospace is more in depth M.E so without a M.E undergrad degree, jumping into aerospace might leave many gaps. Im hoping im wrong there, because aerospace engineering is something i am really interested in.

2.) What are some good grad schools for M.E in the north east, specifically, Pa/Nj/Ny area?

3.) As an applied physics student applying to a masters engineering program, what are some things i could do to make myself stand out and appeal to the engineering crowd more?

Be sure you know a little bit about what they do before trying to make a choice of colleges.

Yeah, propulsion is my main interest, but i was more curious as to whether or not my background in applied physics is good for going straight into aerospace, or would i have to go through an M.E program first

Aerospace engineering is, like most of engineering, applied Newtonian mechanics. Make sure you truly understand your fundamentals. Fill your technical electives with classes from mathematics (good for any discipline), mechanical engineering (thermodynamics and aerodynamics) and maybe even electrical engineering (control theory). If you can take an upper undergrad/lower-level graduate course in general relativity, do so. Quantum mechanics is generally holds much less important in aerospace engineering than it does in physics.